The Hudsucker Proxy is an early Coen Brothers comedy and it feels like it. The production design, camera movement, and dialogue all showcase creativity and skill, but the story at its center failed to hold my attention. The comedy was rarely funny, and the characters never made a meaningful impression.

Something completely different for the Coen brothers, this is an oldschool screwball comedy originally written by Sam Raimi. It really commits to that style, everything is wonderfully overacted and the sets and score are all very exaggerated. Imagine the J Jonah Jamison scenes from the Sam Raimi Spider-man films stretched out over an entire film, mix in some German expressionism and Terry Gilliam, and you’re close to what this is. However, for as much as the Coens nail the style, I didn’t care as much for the writing. As far as ‘capitalism = bad’ movies go, this doesn’t dig all that deep. That means your enjoyment will probably depend on how much you vibe with the comedy, which is the most divisive aspect of the film. In my opinion, some of the slapstick and silliness are really good, but it can get oddly lowbrow and dumb for a Coen brothers film, it’s sometimes lacking that clever layer you can often find in their dumb comedies. Look, I’d recommend _Brazil_ over this any day, but this is still a pretty decent effort, if a little unremarkable when taking their entire filmography into account. 6/10

Joel and Ethan Coen have a little fun with this carefree romp through the 1950s executive suite. Tim Robbins plays Norman Barnes, a naïve yokel who trips off the bus and falls straight to the top of a major international corporation, literally taking an express elevator from the crowded basement mail room to the president’s office. His breakneck appointment is a scheme by the bigwigs, a plot to artificially deflate stock prices while solidifying their control, but Barnes’s adorably simple-minded ideas catch on with the public. He becomes an overnight media darling and the conniving corporates (led by a gravel-voiced Paul Newman) are forced to pivot to their Plan B. Meanwhile, Jennifer Jason Leigh puts on a heavy Mid-Atlantic accent, channeling Rosalind Russell in _His Girl Friday_ as a pushy, fast-talking, “one of the boys” press reporter who goes undercover to dig some dirt on the new boss. In _The Hudsucker Proxy_, the Coens pay homage to many such golden-aged archetypes. The wide-eyed innocent who’s in way over his head. The manipulative social elites who beg for comeuppance. The big-mouthed tough girl who’s softer than she lets on. These are all familiar caricatures, more than a little worn out, but the eccentric performances of an all-star cast are good enough to pull them back from the brink. Robbins is the physical embodiment of a puppy dog: all knees and elbows, still growing into his body (and the big boys’ world) despite standing at least a head taller than the men and women around him. He’s both insightful and clueless. Leigh’s worldly damsel can’t help pulling the wool over the eyes of such a rube, then regretting it when he turns out to be deeper than the clowns she’s been running with. And Newman is everything you’d want from a foil, cheerfully spitting and growling his way through a cloud of cigar smoke to toss a dozen dirty obstacles in their way. Light, silly and playful, this was a nice break from the dark intensity of _Fargo_ and _Barton Fink_, which bookend it in the Coens’ filmography. It’s nothing monumental or groundbreaking, a pastiche which boldly wears its inspirations on its sleeve (particularly the vast, towering architectural details, which seem to have been delivered straight from Lang’s _Metropolis_), but the characters are warm, the cast give us their best and the dialogue is a real hoot. I’ve been enjoying it for years.

As will all Coen brothers films, this one calls me to see it again, as I always seem to discover new elements when watching their works for the second, third, fourth times, and beyond. A very worthwhile film – enjoy!

Very wacky, a good number of funny bits and fun fashion. Way too drawn out though with unengaging characters and incredibly predictable character arcs.